Spiritual Understanding of Mahatma Gandhi

Posted: 23.12.2011Updated on: 30.07.2015

Definition of Spirituality

Spirituality is a very thought proving word. The meaning of spirituality has shifted since our parents generation when the concept of spirituality and religion seemed to be interchangeable. A recent survey indicates that many people see organized religion as “intolerant and divisive”. In modern terms the meaning of spirituality is much more personal and can be defined in different ways from person to person. Generally speaking, the definition of spirituality includes anything that can have an influence over person’s soul and spirit. Although we live in a modern and technologically - driven world, it makes sense that people are searching for new age spirituality, specifically for greater meaning, a purpose in life and a sense of lasting happiness and satisfaction.

If one wants to understand Gandhiji’s life and work one must try to understand his spiritual ideas and ideals in the light of which he conducted his struggles against group injustice and tyranny and carried out his reform programs. According to Gandhi spirituality play a dominant role in developing inner consciousness. Ordinarily a man does not care for his spiritual good and does what will give him pleasure for the time being and is likely to harm him spiritually.

While Writing an introduction to his autobiography Gandhi Said, “But I should certainly like to narrate my experiments in the spiritual field which are known only to myself and from which I have derived such power as I posses for working in the political field. If the experiments are really spiritual then there can be no room for self praise. The very purpose of life is self realization and to see God face to face to attain Moksha. This can only be possible by spirituality. This was spiritual understanding of Mahatma Gandhi.

Everyone has a right to acquire spiritual knowledge if one has devotion to God. Spirituality can be received through the spiritual sense. Mahatma Gandhi wanted to Endeavour to translate politics in terms of spirituality. A man with intense spirituality may be without speech or gesture touch the hearts of million who have never seen him and whom he has never seen. The most eloquent preacher if he has no spirituality, in him will fail to touch the hearts of his audience. It is dangerous to feel. It is not like many other things which we can perceive, analyze and prove through our senses.

While speaking on spirituality Gandhiji preached Indian Society “There is sufficiency in the world for man’s need but not for man’s greed. Hinduism teaches us to regard the whole humanity as one indivisible undivided family. We may not be God, but we are of God, even as a little drop of water is of the ocean. If we love peace, then hate injustice, hate tyranny, hate greed - but hate these things in yourself, not in other. If we do our duty here, the beyond will take care of itself. Non cooperation with evil is as much as duty as cooperation with God. We can see clearly the time coming when people belonging to different faiths will regard the same for other faiths that they have for their own.

Mahatma Gandhi: A great personality

People who knew Gandhi were amazed by his single - mindedness, energy and personal magnetism. He slept only a few hours every night, was involved in his mission all the time, and yet was never driven but always calm within. Gandhi left behind an incredible legacy for all humanity to ponder and put into the humanizing practice of non - violence and a reverence for life.

Relevance of Gandhi is unquestionable and it is so much time tested that in spite of the global apprehension and debate about it, the last hope of human kind is Gandhi and Gandhi alone, but Gandhi is so humble and docile that the posterity to refrain from his views, ideas and thoughts as “Gandhism”. Gandhi rightly said, “There is as yet nothing like Gandhism but Kriplani prefers the title” The Gandhian Way”. Gandhi all through, went on his experiments in the practice of Truth and Non - violence. Gandhi was neither an academic philosopher nor a system builder. He was essentially a freedom fighter, a social reformer and a practical man. Not like a social scientist, but like a scientist, Gandhi was highly experiment oriented. His aim was to bring every problem, social, political, economic or otherwise, face to face with truth as it may present itself at a given moment.

The programs of Gandhiji aimed at effecting national regeneration. Gandhi believed that Indians did not deserve independence unless they ended divisiveness, and change their outmoded practices and beliefs. For him, political power for its own sake would only encourage careerism. Overall, Gandhi hoped to awaken spirituality. The program aimed to produce, among other things, Hindu - Muslim unity, equality for the untouchable caste, use of domestically produced cloth (Khadi), development of village industries, institution of craft - based education, and a ban on alcohol. It also worked for other desirable social changes such as- introducing equality for women, developing health Education promoting indigenous languages, working for economic and social equality among peasants, workers and tribal groups, creating a code of conduct for students, bringing help to lepers and baggers, and inculcating respect for animals.

When he returned to India his ashram continued to be an important part of his life. He taught the residents to serve their fellows around strict moral principles, and to be daunted by nothing, not even death, in pursuing their goals. They were expected to find the truth through a life of simplicity, tolerance, hard work, discipline and self reliance. Christians, Hindus and Muslims nurtured respect for one another. There was much that was experimental as the residents tried out new diets, nature cure and harmonious living with the environment. It was a way of training an army of spiritualized soldiers ready to effect change through Ahimsa (Non - violence). The ashram produces heroic individuals.

Gandhiji’s search for commercial harmony went with an inner personal search. When violence broke out between Hindu and Muslim, he blamed himself, and often wondered why God was not working for me? Was he pure, had he removed all traces of violence within himself? This brought him to the conclusion that the possible of his violence was the presence of conscious sexuality. He had already taken a vow of celibacy in 1906. He thus began his experiments of sleeping with carefully chosen female associates. The experiments showed him that he was pure and the God has not forsaken him. He was ready to offer his own life to fight against communal violence, and thus to awaken the conscience and moral energies of his misguided countrymen. From October 1946 to February 1947, he walked from village to village, working 18 hours a day and covering as many as 49 villages, living in huts. His feet developed chilblains. He faced death threats. Nothing deterred him.

Gandhi said, “I came to the conclusion long ago that all religions were true and also that all had some error in them, and while I hold my own, I should hold others as dear as Hinduism. So we can only pray, If we are Hindus, not that a Christian should become a Hindu. But our innermost prayer should be- a Hindu should be better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim, a Christian a better Christian.”

Co - relation between Gandhiji’s Spirituality and Science

At the starting of 20th century Mahatma Gandhi has written about Social, Environmental, Political evils in his first published book Hind Swaraj. After publishing of this book Acharya Vinoba Bhave has told in a single line about these thoughts - Science + Spiritual knowledge = Ghandhian thought. Gandhiji used to say “my life is my message.” Simplicity was the symbol of Gandhi and he want to spread it anywhere. Simplicity, self employment, to use country made items and non - violence is given by Mahatma Gandhi.

At the outset let us contemplate on Science and Spirituality which are not antithesis but they are two wheels on the same cart or they are two faces of the same coin. Science deals with physic and spirituality deals with the spirit. One deal with material and other with the spirit. One deals with the visible and the other with the indivisible. In the same way one deals with the outer and other deals with the inner. They are complimentary to each other. Gandhiji being a man of peace believed in the right co - ordination or combination of the two. The holy synthesis of two brings peace, success and holistic approach. Science is lame without spirituality. Real progress or success or peace or Moksha or development or civilization or reformation is possible when science and spirituality go hand in hand or see eye to eye. The conducive coordination creates heaven on this earth. Gandhiji knew that the earth has enough to satisfy everybody’s need but not greed. He implored for the replacement of greed by love.

Development of science has so many evils, today we are facing some of them and it is possible that some will be raised time to time. Just like today world is facing the main problem - global warming, everyone is worried about it and finding the solution for this. Gandhiji was already knowing all these situations like global warming, that is why he always told that save the environment and don’t cut the jungles. He knew that science work only in the development of the society, peace of world and not showing the power to other countries. Such as motor car, there are two important things, first is accelerator and second is steering. Science is accelerator and steering is spiritual knowledge. Developments are given by science and the reason of evils are lack of spiritual knowledge. Every step on science which will be taken with spiritual thoughts will be on the way of Mahatma Gandhi.

The world has been facing crucial financial problems due to imbalance of Science and Spirituality or imbalance of knowledge and wisdom. The imbalance is due to lack of introspection. The lion’s share of Science has produced tremendous material progress without knowing the jeopardy of the vast production. One is expected to weight the pros and cons without selfish motive and one should look for the welfare of all. One must also keep in mind that whatever glitters is not gold. So the acid test is essential to make use of science which supports spirituality. The goal of two is to attain Moksha or salvation or to lead a perfect life in which one is expected to see God face to face. Let us ponder on the two aspects and see how the confluence of the two contribute to the welfare of the society in which everyone lives peacefully and happily.

Today the intellectual personalities know the importance of the thoughts of Gandhi and they are finding the answer of day to day arising problems in the idealism of Gandhi. Gandhiji was not the conservative. He knew very well the benefits and evils of science and he knew that the answer of these problems are given in the spiritualism. That is why he applied the same spiritual thoughts into the politics and other important subjects.

Now let us meditate his reflections on science. He was not against science but he wanted to redress it is in the best possible way. Richard Gregg regarded Gandhi as a very outstanding Social Scientist. He wanted that science should not have any place for exploitation, violence, corruption, injustice, mistrust, oppression. Vinaba said that Gandhi wanted science to redress a right. Science tends to be dry and dull. Our children cannot make use of what they are taught in this field. A Science like astronomy which should be taught to boys in the open by actually showing them the stars in the sky is taught through books.

Science is the one of the few things in which one has to go in for accuracy of thought and accuracy of handling. Those who go for higher education are from middle classes. They have almost lost the use of their hands. The secret and pleasure of Science cannot be used or understood if a body does not use his hands. Science is essentially one of those things in which theory alone is of no value, unless our hands go hand in hand with our heads, we would be able to do nothing whatsoever. It is unfortunate that we who learn in colleges forget that India lives in her villages not in towns. Gandhi was not happy with European civilization. We admit that in his anger against European civilization Gandhi had gone to the extremes of condemning all science and all culture.

Social Reform by Gandhiji’s Spirituality

One of the sources of Gandhiji’s Spiritual transformation was his reliance on his mantra “Rama”. It is the name of the Lord and comes form a word meaning “joy” or to “rejoice “. Gandhi used it all the time when his mind was not occupied. He called this mantra his staff of life which carried him through every overdeal, that is exactly what happened, Gandhiji was assassinated on 30th January 1948.

Gandhiji was following and ancient tradition of using spirituality as a basis of social change. The Buddha and Jesus Christ had used them effectively. Gandhiji’s unique discourse on the subject was the result of his having discovered the East and the West at about the same time, the one through the other. Thus he incorporated Christian notions of love, forgiveness and uncomplaining suffering into his philosophy while rejecting the idea that salvation could come only through Christ and he embrased Islam’s emphasis on equality. Jainism’s Anekantavada (the many sidedness of truth) made him tolerant to all religions.

Gandhi was himself a moral Symbol: his dress, his language, mode of public speaking, food, bodily gestures, ways of sitting, walking, talking, laughter humor, and staff or walking stick. Each evoked deep cultural memories, spoke volumes, and conveyed highly complex messages. He hoped to reach the “whole being” and thus to mobilize their moral energy. In this world that he created, the colonial world had no access. No other leader before Gandhi has such a clear and complete strategy of action. None possessed either his self confidence or his organizational and communication skills.

A satyagrahi (one who pursues passive resistance) has to observe certain rules of behavior: believe in the power of right action, think rationally, study the situation, dissuade the opponent, keep open the channels of communications, use intermediaries, follow rules and principles, be courteous, remain open to compromise, and accept suffering love. If the opponent, proved to be unyielding, the Satyagrahi must engage in economical and political action such as boycott. Take positive action, or to be trampled upon like worms, is the way he put it.

Gandhi evolved a distinct most of discourse. He appealed to the emotions by judiciously selecting culturally significant symbols drawn from the daily lives of ordinary Indians. The symbols were: khadi, cow, Gandhi cap, spinning wheel. The spinning wheel was not only intended to rebel against modern technological civilization, but was affirming the dignity of manual labour and social compassion. By supporting the spinning wheel he was promoting the needs of the poor. It was infinitely more moral than asking for financial donations.

Hinduism nevertheless formed the core of his religious beliefs. It offers salivation though Karma-Yoga (selfless action), Raja-Yoga (bodily discipline), Bhakti-Yoga (devotional endeavors) and Jnana-Yoga (knowledge through mental discipline). He chose to stress first and adapted it to four fundamental Hindu ideas to suit his philosotry of social activism. Thus Moksha (individual liberation), Tapasya (penance), Yoga (mind - body harmonization) and Samadhi (withdrawal to prepare for Moksha) all were adapted to suit his commitment for social reform and change in the service of the poor and needy.

Gandhiji said, “True religion is not a narrow dogma. It is not external observance. It is faith in God and living in presence of God. It means faith in a future life, in truth and Ahimsa. Religion is a matter of the heart. No physical inconvenience can warrant abandonment of one’s own religion. I worship God as truth only. I have not yet found Him, but I am seeking after Him. I am prepared to sacrifice the things dearest to me in pursuit of this quest. Even if the sacrifice demanded our very life, we hope we may be prepared to give it.

Injustices could be eliminated if Ahimsa (non-violence) was practiced. But he found the Hindu idea of Ahimsa too passive, and Christian notion of love too attached. Thus he combined Ahimsa and love, and added the Hindu concept of anaskati (detachment) to arrive at his activist philosophy. For Gandhi the world was ordered on moral principles and brute force had no place in it. He added fasting as a tool in his armory. Fasting was not hunger strike designed to extract submission or evoke self pity. Rather it has a way of atoning vicariously for the misdeeds of others. This “Vicarious suffering” like “Voluntary ratification” is an essentially Christian idea.

Gandhiji’s secularism and openness to all kinds of the theological and philosophical is well known. It was through an assimilation of various concepts and philosophical tenets that Gandhi arrived at his own understanding of non-violence. Jainisam and Buddhism were the most important influences that lay behind the foundations of Gandhiji’s non-violence theory. Both Jainism and Buddhism preached non-violence as the basic principle of existence. All other thoughts and actions propagated by these two religious schools were based on this base of non - violence. Gandhiji was deeply influenced by his readings of these scriptures. The Acharanga Sutra of the Jains stated all life to be dear and precious, and Gandhiji believed in it earnestly.

The Bhagwadgita was another important influence, with its stress on non - attachment and selfless action. Christianity along with its message of love and compassion, extended even to one’s enemies, was another important influence on Gandhiji’s life. Bringing together all these theological schools, Gandhiji was to search of a meaningful life, a life based on truth and honesty, a life that would boost of a moral courage to stand for the right and for justice, even at its own cast. It was this outlook that Gandhi employed as a tool to guide India’s freedom struggle, which eventually succeeded to unite the length and breadth of the country like never before.

All his ventures are directed towards his goal. He taught a set of values that might make happiness less dependent on material possession. The central evil of modern world, Gandhi felt, materialism. Gandhiji preached what he practiced and practiced what he believed. He enjoyed inner harmony. Spirituality is a matter of the heart, culture of immeasurable strength. Fearlessness is the first requisite of spirituality. Cowards can not be moral. There is no limit for man’s ambitions. Once we satisfied one day we might desire to fly through space what will be the result? Chaos. We would be trembling upon one another. We would simply be smothered. His prediction comes true. He says, “I tell you if by sudden catastrophe all these instruments were to be destroyed, I would not shed a single tear. I would say it is a proper storm and a proper cleansing.

Napoleon said there are two powers in the world, the spiritual and the sword. In the long run the sword will be conquered by the spirit. Again true marriage means not merely union of the souls. The ideal that marriage aims at is that of union through the physical. The human love that is incarnates is intended to serve as steeping stone to divine or universal love.

In the opinion of Ganhiji, European civilization is a disease. So Gandhiji frankly said that we are on the wrong road. According to Gandhiji man is elevated by his spirit and man’s spirtit can be elevated by mind which is never satisfied. Gandhiji intended to have a humanitarian industrial policy for India which meant to Gandhiji a glorification of revival of hand spinning for he ‘believed, that can pauperism which is blighting the lives of millions of human beings in their cottages in this land be immediately removed. He advised all the young scientists to make the spinning wheel a more efficient instrument of production in India’s cottages. He wanted that the production should be by masses and not mass production by a few hands. He wanted that everyone must be busy with work.

Gandhi being a great futuristic person knew the danger of mass production so he opposed science. Further he also proclaimed that future measurement will take note not only of the human family but of all that lives. “The West can live on exploitation”. Gandhiji described European civilization as a “nine day wonder”. Gandhiji said, “I am as certain that they are endowed with a soul as I am, years of experience of proselytizing both in South Africa and India has convinced me that it has not raised the general moral tone of the converts, who have imbibed the superficialities of European civilization and have missed the teaching of Jesus.

Gandhiji opposed the craze for machinery which no doubt saves time and labour at the same time throws thousands on the open streets to die of starvation. Gandhi says, “I want to save time and labour, not a fraction of mankind but for all. I want the concentrationof wealth, not in the hands of a few but in the hands of all. Today machinery merely helps a few to ride the backs of millions. The use of machinery increases greed. Gandhiji taught against this with all his strength. In his opinion the earth has enough to satisfy everybody’s need but not anybody’s greed. He replaced greed by love and he believed that everything would be all right. Machines should not be allowed to cripple the limbs of man.

Gandhi stands for people’s politics and not party politics. Actually, power must pass into the hands of the people at all levels, initiatives must pass to the people,. He pleads for party less democracy. Emergence of people’s democracy will herald a new era of democratic decentralization i.e. the Swaraj (self rule) is needed from below. In Gandhian politics democracy becomes the rule of the people and depends more and more upon the power of the people and not upon the power of the police or military. Thus democracy and violence can not go together. Hence Gandhiji pleads for the ‘Moralization of wishes” and “Voluntary action” must remain the basis of democratic life and culture.

Concept of Trusteeship was derived from conception of Aparigrah (Non- possession) of the Jains. With the passage of time, Gandhi went on adding on economic and sociological content to the rather moralistic concept of trusteeship. He stated that in case, the rich would not become willing trustees, Satyagrah was to be restored to, against the holder of wealth. In 1938, he said, A trustee has no heir but the public.” This implies that the community or the state has also a right in the prosperity of the moneyed classes. He wanted that the rich should become trustees of their surplus wealth for the good of the society. Thus the society was to be regarded as an extension of the family.

Gandhi concept of basic Education has got the maximum attention. It aims at all round development of human personality. His primary emphasis is on the 3’H’s i.e. - Head, Heart and Hand rather than 3 ‘R’s i.e.-Reading,Writing and Arithmetic. For Gandhi, “The true development of head, heart and soul are necessary for a satisfactory system of Education”. The basic Education envisaged by Gandhi aimed at producing self reliant and good citizens. In order to regain India’s lost glory and prestige, Gandhiji’s educational ideas based on value - orientation have to be reemphasized. The education curricula should be value laden as well as information oriented. Eradication of illiteracy and spread of education is the prime need of the hour, so that the citizens of twenty first century can be alert and enlightened.

Conclusion

To meet the world crisis the co-ordination of science and spirituality is inevitable Gandhi knew the disastrous consequences of European civilizat ion which was the outcome of science. If science and spirituality go hand in hand Gandhiji is sure that one can create heaven on this earth. There is enough in this world for everyone’s need but there is not enough in this world for anybody’s greed. All is right with the world if there is proper combination of the two. Had Gandhiji’s advice in Hind Swaraj been taken into consideration the world would not have been what it is today with its exploitations, corruption, injustice and what not. Even today it is possible to live a simple life with minimum wants if we all follow Gandhiji’s preaching about science and spirituality. Sustainable development in the need of the hour and that is possible with the co - ordination of science and spirituality. Many know science but few live with the scientific points of view. It should be used to maintain cleanliness and for the purpose of sanity. Science cleans the outer selfspirituality cleans the inner self, both of them are essential to keep the world at peace.

For Gandhi religion and morality were one and the same. Truth and non - violence were the main principles. Spirituality refers to soul force and non - violence, truth, non - stealing, chastity, non - possession, physical labour, control of palate, fearlessness, equality of all religions, swadeshi and discarding untouchability Gandhiji practiced all these principles in his Ashram irrespective of religion, creed and language. He had to meet many hardships. He admitted Harijans, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists but he never converted them.

Gandhi was brought up in a religious atmosphere. He belonged to a Hindu Vaishnav family. He was also influenced by Jainism. He studied the Bible, Tolstoy, Emerson and Thoreau. He was no doubt Hindu but his Hinduism had little to do with forms and ceremonials. He rejected everything that was against reason and humanity. He says, “By birth no one is superior or untouchable.” He rarely visited temples except sometimes through courtesy. He did not go to any temple that was not open to Harijans. In a sense he was “Karma Yogi”. In his opinion good works must be performed in the spirit of sacrifice to God of Humanity. He says, “I am endeavoring to see Gods through service humanity, for I know that God is neither in heaven nor down below but in everyone. Service to man is service to God.

All those who believe in the moral law were spiritual even though they were so called atheist. He says that truth is God. To me God is truth and love. God is ethics and morality. God is fearlessness, God is source of light and yet he is above and beyond all these. Uttering of Ramnama means one who abides in the hearts of men, the anteryami. He believed in a formless and attribute less God. He frankly admitted the existence of God. He cannot be proved by reason, yet he is not against reason. Gandhi could not prove His existence by rational arguments which may be convincing, be felt the existence in life. He had great faith in prayer. He conducted prayer both in morning and in the evening. In his prayer no prayer or symbol was kept and had no objection to it for those who needed it. Prayers were in the praise of God. He says “Prayer has saved my life. Without it I should have been a lunatic long ago, humbly claim to be a man of prayer. Let everyone try and find that as a result of daily prayer he adds something new to his life.

Romain Rolland had recognized the moral significance of the work of the Mahatma. Both Einstein and Tagore testified to the spiritual eminence of Gandhi. At a time, when cultural norms are collapsing and structure of civilization is imperiled, the deathless spirit of Gandhi stands as a mighty Himalaya an eminence source of strength to those devoted to the emancipation of mankind.

Gandhiji believed in self discipline. His success was due to a life of discipline. Occasional fasting and vow taking helped him to concentrate his mind and his will power. Restrictions gave him an opportunity to serve mankind. He was satisfied with a loin cloth. His vow of not taking more than five varieties of food helped him to have limitations. He taught a great lesson of simple living and high thinking. For Gandhiji, Soul force or spiritual force was the source of the greatest power. He strove to awaken to soul force within himself and within his fellowmen. Revolutionary social philosophies had concentrated on changing the society and, the spiritual seeker had concentrated on the inner life. Gandhiji not only bridged the gap between these two extremes, he fused them together. So he was a saint and a social revolutionary. The civilization should be built on the basis of spirituality.

After about 60 years of martyrdom, Gandhi is now more relevant on global level than before. Special after 9/11 of 2001, the terroristic attacks on Twin Tower World Trade Centre and Pentagon building of the USA, Gandhi is remembered more with reverence then merely casually. He is being recognized as a great leader of action, a liberator and Prophet Martyr all over the Universe. What is needed at the hour is to implement his deeds, actions and thoughts into the practice and thus, his relevance in different fields is unquestionable and unchallengeable. For the very survival of human being, it is imperative on our part to act upon his advice because only on his relevance, we shall survive together or if we fail in our venture, we are bound to perish together. He is the only hope of the future as he is the only shining star on the horizon.

References

Mohandas Gandhi: Essential writings selected and edited by John Dear.

Young India: January 19, 1928.

Gandhi, M.K., Sabarmati - 1928 (Report of the 1st annual meeting of the federation of International fellowship held of Sabarmati Ashram, 13 - 15 January, 1928).